Selenium has 6 valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom, which are involved in chemical bonding. Selenium is located in Group 16 (also known as the oxygen group) of the periodic table. Elements in this group have 6 electrons in their outermost shell.
Here’s a brief explanation:
- Selenium’s atomic number is 34, meaning it has 34 electrons in total.
- The electron configuration of selenium is [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p4.
- The outermost shell (the 4th shell) contains 6 electrons (4s2 4p4), which are the valence electrons.
These 6 valence electrons are responsible for selenium’s chemical properties and its ability to form compounds with other elements.